Honkai Star Rail: How To Unlock the Truthful Trailblazer…

This article is part of a directory: Honkai Star Rail: Complete Guide and Walkthrough | Quest Guides, Best Builds, Tier Lists, & More

Players need four days to unlock the Truthful Trailblazer or Hidden Harmony secret achievements in Honkai: Star Rail. These hidden achievements are mutually exclusive and missable without some quick thinking and backtracking. Both achievements are also only unlockable after completing the multi-stage questline, Todd Riordan's Academic Research.

This three-stage, four-day Honkai: Star Rail quest tree unlocks after reaching Trailblaze Level 34 or above. Players must also complete A Dragon Gallant, Its Ocean Distant, the second part of the Trailblaze Mission, Topclouded Towerthrust. The quest tree itself can end in two distinct ways, with one skipping a short section in favor of decisive action.

Glimpsing the Verdant Apothecary's Pouch

The first part of Todd’s questline involves retrieving two Compendium of Remedies from the Alchemy Commission. Trailblazers are automatically whisked back to Todd, then requested to find a component from a mara-struck creature. They can acquire one after a fight with a disguised disciple of Sanctus Medicus at the Alchemy Commission.

Acquire the quest from Todd in Central Starskiff Haven
Teleport to the Healer's Market in the Alchemy Commission and talk to Yuluo next to the Dragon Tree
Retrieve the Unfortunate Healer's book from a tree by the marked stairs
Break the vase and get the Compendium of Remedies in a courtyard
Talk to Todd, and then teleport back to the Healer's Market
Find and talk to the Learned Alchemist
Fight Abominations of Abundance to get an Eerie Twig
Take the Eerie Twig back to Todd in Starskiff Haven

After activating the quest by talking to Todd in Central Starskiff Haven, Trailblazers should teleport to the Healer's Market in the Alchemy Commission. They must speak to the NPC, Yuluo, who can be found beside the Dragon Tree in the middle of the market.

Gather The Books

Unfortunate Healer Compendium of Remedies Honkai Star Rail

After talking to Yuluo, players can find two copies of the Compendium of Remedies nearby.

To get the first copy, face the stairs beside the Healer’s Market space anchor.
Follow the path to the first marking and speak with the Unfortunate Healer.
Retrieve the book from the tree in front of him.

Vase Compendium of Remedies Honkai Star Rail

Go up the stairs again until the Trailblazer reaches the plaza.
Walk across the plaza and up the stairs, then turn right.
Smash the vase by the stairs to find the second book.

give the textbook to todd Honkai Star Rail

Whichever order the player retrieves them, they will be teleported to Todd immediately after picking up both books.

Find The Learned Alchemist

Learned Alchemist leads to battle Honkai Star Rail

Once Todd’s dialogue is finished, players should teleport back to the Healer’s Market. The green-robed Learned Alchemist can be found behind the Dragon Tree. Winning the fight that follows will reward players with an Eerie Twig, which must be brought back to Todd to finish this mission.

The Three Draconic Transformations

Todd will message the Trailblazer after one daily reset. This is the lengthiest section of the four-day quest, as players must possibly fight to clear puzzle areas. Players must also solve multiple visual puzzles that could be difficult to clear without a guide.

Respond to Todd's message and find him at Central Starskiff Haven
Go to Scalegorge Waterscape and take a picture of the following:
1. High Elder Statue
2. Vidyadhara Egg
3. Vidyadhara Mural
4. Dragon-Shaped Light
Give Todd the photos and then travel to the Alchemy Commission to find Scholar Bernini’s Optical Markings:
1. Yaoshi
2. The Ambrosial Arbor
3. Shattering of The Ambrosial Arbor
Hand Todd the photos of the rubbings and take pictures of the rubbings in Scalegorge Waterscape:
1. The First Ships of the Xianzhou Alliance
2. Infection of Mara
3. The High-Cloud Quintet
4. Xianzhou Resistance
5. The Xianzhou's Journey
Surrender the rubbings to Todd and tour Scalegorge Waterscape with him:
1. High Elder Statue
2. Vidyadhara Egg
Look for the missing notebook at the High Elder Statue and return it to Todd

After Todd sends the message, players should meet him at his usual spot in Central Starskiff Haven. He will ask the Trailblazer to take pictures of some landmarks in Scalegorge Waterscape.

Scalegorge Picture Locations

high elder statue vidyadhara egg vidyadha murals Honkai Star Rail

Teleport to the Dragonvista Rain Hall space anchor.
Walk until the UI prompt to take a photo of the High Elder statue appears.
Take the photo and teleport to the Ancient Sea Palace Ruins space anchor.
Walk down the path to the right and stop at the Vidyadhara eggs.
Snap a picture and teleport to the Palace Ruin Depths space anchor.
Either take the path in front of the anchor or head down south to reach the Vidyadhara murals.
Photograph the murals and teleport to the Echo of War – Divine Seed.
Head straight toward the Dragon-Shaped Light, take a photo, and return to Todd

Upon receiving the pictures, Todd will make another request. The Trailblazer will be asked to find invisible rubbings left by his Intelligentsia Guild mentor, Bernini Serrano. Scholar Bernini’s first set of invisible rubbings or Optical Markings can be found at the Alchemy Commission.

Find The Rubbings At The Alchemy Commission

Teleport to the Alchemy Commission using the Medicine Bureau space anchor.
Follow the quest marker and finish the tutorial.
Press R and walk behind the bench where the other half of the Optical Marking can be found.
Line up the image on the bench to the mural on the wall to get the rubbing of the Aeon of Abundance, Yaoshi.

Teleport to the Healer’s Market and walk to the quest marker.
Walk around the Dragon Tree and stop in front of the female and male healer.
Press R to see the rubbing of The Ambrosial Arbor and align the fragments to capture it.

Use the Elixir Research Terrace space anchor located on the F1 layer of the map.
Head straight for the quest marker and walk until a little past the orange tree.
Align the Optical Markings to get the rubbing of the Shattering of The Ambrosial Arbor.
Return the rubbings to Todd, who will send players to Scalegorge Waterscape for the next set of Optical Markings.

Discover The Optical Markings At Scalegorge Waterscape

Every rubbing on Scalegorge Waterscape can be collected clockwise. Alternatively, players can teleport from space anchors and head for their target.
For the first rubbings, teleport to Scalegorge Waterscape through the Ancient Sea Palace Ruins space anchor.
Turn around, go up the stairs, and activate the quest marker.
The First Ships of the Xianzhou Alliance can be collected by standing in front of the pillar and moving the camera until the camera option appears.

Go back down the stairs to the space anchor.
Turn left, head down to the quest marker, then walk down the stairs and immediately turn left.
The Xianzhou's Journey can be photographed after aligning the two Optical Markings.
Face away from the stairs, head straight, then turn left and down the stairs.
The Infection of Mara is split into three. Look to the right, go around the broken pillar, and line up the three parts to get the rubbing.

Walk around the broken pillar and head straight.
Run down the long wooden branch towards the Vidyadhara murals.
Activate the quest marker, turn to the left, and walk toward the small pillar with green flames.
Align the Optical Marking on the small pillar with the one on the wall to get the rubbings of The High-Cloud Quintet.

Although the Trailblazer does not recognize them, eagle-eyed players may remember them as The High-Cloud Quintet. Clockwise from the top, they are:

Name	Xianzhou Ship	Species
Jingliu	Xianzhou Cangcheng	Xianzhou native
Jing Yuan	Unknown (Settled in Xianzhou Luofu)	Xianzhou native
Yingxing	Xianzhou Zhuming (Outsider, settled in)	Short-lived species
Dan Feng	Xianzhou Luofu	Vidyadhara
Baiheng	Unknown (Possibly Xianzhou Yaoqing)	Foxian

To reach the last rubbings, Trailblazers can:
- Walk north until they reach the quest marker.
- Use the Palace Ruin Depths space anchor to walk to the marker.
- Teleport to Stagnant Shadow: Shape of Abomination to reach the marker.
Upon activating the marker, walk behind the fallen pillar directly across the pillar shown in the cutscene.
Line up the fragments to capture the Xianzhou Resistance rubbings.

Tour Scalegorge Waterscape With Todd

Meet Todd at Central Starskiff Haven.
Travel with him to Scalegorge Waterscape.
Take him to the High Elder statue and then the Vidyadhara eggs.
Todd will ask the Trailblazer to retrieve his notebook in front of the High Elder statue.
Return the notebook to Todd and escort him back to Central Starskiff Haven to wrap this mission up.

Continued

Continued takes two days to complete. On the first day, players can choose whether to keep Todd’s secret or report him to the Ten-Lords Commission. The choice won't change Todd's ultimate fate but will affect his final moments.

Report Todd To The Ten-Lords Commission

Report To The Ten Lords Commission Honkai Star Rail

Read Todd’s message and head for his usual spot.
Talk to the mysterious NPC and refuse his offer.
Head to the Ten-Lords Commission and report Todd to Dahao.
Teleport to the Earthrise Agora space anchor.
Go left and walk straight to Xueyi, who will give information on Todd.
Wait for a server reset and respond to Todd’s message.
Teleport to the Dragonvista Rain Hall space anchor in Scalegorge Waterscape to meet Todd for the last time.

Keep It A Secret

Read Todd’s message then head for his usual spot.
Talk to the mysterious NPC and agree to keep his secret.
Wait for a server reset and talk to the child at Todd’s usual spot.
Follow the child to a food stall next to the Starwatcher Avenue space anchor.
Buy a Berrypheasant Skewer.
Witness the child and Bailu’s conversation at Exalting Sanctum.
Teleport to the Dragonvista Rain Hall space anchor in Scalegorge Waterscape to meet Todd for the last time.

Fans of Blade can unlock extra dialogue with the Mara-struck immortal in either scenario. They can find the man formerly known as Yingxing by the Dragonvista Rain Hall sea anchor. Blade is also visible from wherever Todd ends up on the map.

How to Unlock Truthful Trailblazer / Hidden Harmony

Honkai Star Rail Tell Cleo the truth for Truthful Trailblazer or hide it for Hidden Harmony

Lastly, to unlock the hidden achievements, head back to Todd’s spot. In his place is Cleo, one of his many disciples. Players can unlock Truthful Trailblazer by telling her the truth about Todd. Hidden Harmony is unlocked by keeping Todd’s secret.